Scripting Suicide in Japan
Keywords:
suicide in Japanese literature, Mishima Yukio, dark tourismAbstract
This publication by Kirsten Cather, who teaches Modern Japanese Literature and Film at the University of Texas at Austin, the United States of America, is a literary overview of the modern and historical theme of suicide in Japan. It discusses writers of all ages and degrees of accomplishment, including Misao Fujimura, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, Kishigami Daisaku, Tsuburaya Kōkichi, Etō Jun, and Yamada Hanako.
In addition to poetry and fiction, media such as film, theater, and manga are also descriptively analyzed as expressing ideas and emotions related to suicide. Associate Professor Cather usefully evaluates ephemera as well as more permanent writing, including works by literary tyros, despite their lack of polish or finesse. A geographical analysis of sites in Japan where suicides are frequent and an extended chapter on the writings and films of Yukio Mishima add to the overall message that Japan has been creatively inspired by suicide. Even researchers who may dismiss the notion that Japanese writers are more suicidal than those of other nations should find useful material in this dense study.
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